The Australian government’s pledge to substantially up migration may not yield the economic benefits it expects, says economist Judith Sloan.
Following the Jobs and Skills Summit in early September, the Labor government announced the country would receive 195,000 new migrants per year, an increase from the previous amount of 160,000.
The call for more migrants has been echoed by all corners of the business and union sector as a means of dealing with a lack of manpower across several industries including cooking, nursing, and regional jobs.
The situation was exacerbated by two years of lockdown and tight international border controls, which have kept students, working holiday visa applicants, and new migrants from entering the country….